Moisture control means for duplicating machines



Dec. 13, 1949 R. FORD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15, 1944 d .V- E v d i K m T h R N em 0 .E T W m M or X m 1 x Y B q/l. K/vv 8 an 0m mp .mm or 6 0n R A wE A) F. R. FORD MOISTURE CONTROL MEANS FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed June 15, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PUG-5.

m rm em a K W Y. N 0 0 W w K m n A 4 m w W Q 9 w 5 8 Lu 7 P m 7 k e aw 5 5 e w 8 7 0 0|. b H3? m u O .IAWTQ 4 e w A. q 6 2 2 B In 3 Q l Patented Dec. 13, 1949 MOISTURE CONTROL MEANS FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Frank Ronald Ford, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, England Application June 15, 1944, Serial No. 540,486

In Great Britain April 3, 1943 6 Claims.

This invention relates to duplicating machines, and refers more particularly to machines of the type in which a copy sheet and a master sheet bearing in reverse script the matter to be reproduced are passed in pressure contact between a cylinder which carries the master sheet and a pressure roller, the copy sheet being moistened by a suitable device before being brought into contact with the master sheet.

More particularly the present invention relates to the means employed for moistening the copy sheets, the means being of that kind wherein the sheets are drawn across the surface of a moistening pad which is fed with liquid from a tank by one or more feed wicks.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved control of the liquid feed to the moistening pad.

Machines of the class to which this invention relates are usually provided with means whereby, after each copy has been made, the rotation of the cylinder is checked by an automatic device and a damping bar employed to press the copy sheets against the moistening pad is moved away from the latter at this stage to enable a fresh copy sheet to be fed between the damping bar and the pad to the nip between the cylinder and the pressure roller. It is in such a position, with the damping bar clear of the moistening pad and rotation of the cylinder restrained by the checking device, that the machine should be left when out of use, and it is at this position that, in accordance with the present invention, contact between the feeding wick or wicks and the moistening pad or absorbent member associated therewith is severed so that the moistening pad or absorbent member is not fed with liquid when the machine is out of use.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of a duplicating machine, showing the application of the invention thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the liquid feed control means illustrated in Figure 1, and

Figure 31s a plan view of the same.

Figure 4 is a part sectional side elevation of one component of the control means.

The drawings illustrate the application of the invention to a machine of the type described in Letters Patent No. 2,362,895, issued to me November 14, 1944, such a machine having one or more relatively short pressure rollers which, together with a moistening device and feed tray of appropriate width, is or are traversable axially of the cylinder so that sectional reproduction from a master sheet on the latter may be effected.

In the drawings the cylinder is indicated at 62 and one side member of the machine frame at 63. The machine is provided with a carriage B4 capable of lateral movement on bars 65 extending across the frame.

Cross-bars 66 forming part of the carriage 64 carry a pair of blocks 61 in each of which a spring-loaded plunger 68 having a pressure roller 69 mounted at its lower end is slidable vertically.

Also mounted on the carriage 64 is a reservoir ,10 for moistening liquid, the top of which is formed as a holder H for a pair of moistening pads 12 each associated with one of the pressure rollers 69. Each pad 12 is adapted to be supplied with liquid by means of a feed wick 13 attached at its upper end to a cam 14 on a rocking shaft 15 which extends transversely through the upper part of the reservoir 10.

A feed tray 16 disposed above the moistening device is supported between brackets I1 forming part of the carriage and means (not shown) are provided whereby the tray 16 may be moved in a step-by-step manner along a bar [8 connecting the brackets 11, so that copy sheets 19 on the tray 16 may be fed beneath either or both of the pressure rollers 69.

The copy sheets 19 are normally pressed against the or each moistening pad 12 by means of a bar which is pivoted at its ends to side plates 8! on the carriage 64 and connected by links 82 to the front portion of a swinging frame 83, this portion of the frame 83 being urged downwardly by springs 84.

Instead of the pressure rollers 69 being lifted clear of the cylinder 62 at the end of each operative cycle of the machine, as in the preceding construction, the clearance necessary to permit insertion of a fresh copy sheet is provided by a shallow V-shaped groove 85 in the cylinder 62, this groove arriving below the pressure rollers 69 at the end of each cycle. This allows the plungers 68 carrying the pressure rollers 69 to drop until arrested by tension springs 86 connected between the blocks 67 in which the plungers B8 slide and brackets 81 on the projecting portions of the plungers 58. These brackets 81 carry adjustable abutments 88 which, on descent of the plungers 58, engage the rear portion of the swinging frame 83 so as to raise the damping bar 80 from the moistening pad or pads 2 I.

The damping bar 89 conveniently takes the form of a plate having one of its longitudinal edges bevelled and provided adjacent the opposite edge with trunnions or the equivalent whereby it is pivoted to the side plates 8| on the carriage B4.

In applying the present invention to such an arrangement, the cam shaft I5 having the feed wicks I3 attached thereto is formed or provided externally of the liquid reservoir III with a crank 89.

One of the side plates 8| on the carriage 54 carries an outwardly projecting pin 99 on which is pivoted a lever 9| having a roller 92 secured to its free end by a screw 93, the axes of the pin 99 and roller 92 being parallel to that of the cylinder 62.

Also mounted on thepin 99 and preferably disposed in a slot 94 at the adjacent end of the lever 9|, is a short arm 95 adapted to be locked in any desired angular position by means of a binding screw 99, the end of the arm 95 being adapted to co-operate with the underside of the lever 9|.

An adjustable link 91 has one end connected to the crank 89 and the other attached to the free end of the lever 9|, preferably by means of the screw 93 on which the roller 92 turns or a nut 98 associated therewith.

The roller 92 normally engages, the periphery of the cylinder 62 and the length of the link 9! connecting the lever 9I to the crank 89 is so adjusted that, under these conditions, the cams I4 carried by the rocking shaft I5 hold the feed wicks I3 against the undersides of the moistening pads I2.

- When the groove 85 in the cylinder 62 passes beneath the pressure rollers 69 at the end of each operative cycle of the machine, the lever 9| and roller 92 drop into the position shown in Figure 6, with the result that the cams 74 are turned in a clockwise direction and the feed wicks 13 are automatically moved away from the pads 12.

The angular position of the lever 9| under these conditions is determined by the arm 95 which forms an adjustable stop therefor, and the distance to which the feed wicks I3 are moved away from the pads 12 is controllable by varying the length of the link 91.

Conveniently the link 9'! is formed of two bars 99, I09 of square or other non-circular section which engage telescopically with opposite ends of a tubular connecting piece IBI of corresponding cross-sectional shape, the bar 99 being slidable and the other bar I00 being fixed in the tube IIlI by means of a screw I92. The bar which is connected to the crank 89 may be bent as shown in Figures 6 and 8.

A grub screw I03 in the inner end of the bar 99 projects into an inclined slot I04 formed in a plate I95 which extends transversely of the tube IDI through lateral openings I96 therein and which is movable endwise to vary the position of the rod 99 longitudinally of the tube IIlI.

The plate I95 may be marked with graduations Iilll on its upper surface to indicate its position in relation to the tube I|l| when the best setting has been found, and suitable means may be proto bring copy sheets into contact with a master;

vided for frictionally resisting its endwise movement. For example, a piece of spring wire I98 may be bent into a U shape and engaged over the tube IiiI with its limbs extending along opposite sides of the latter, these limbs bearing against the under surface of the plate I 95 and having their ends inserted into a hole I09 through the fixed bar I99.

A hole IE9 is provided in the underside of the tube I95 to allow insertion of the grub screw I93, and a hole I II may be formed at the opposite side of the tube I95 to enable the position of the screw I93 in relation to the slot I99 to be observed.

As the machine will normally be left with the feed wicks 13 separated from the moistening pads I2, it may happen that, by the time operation is resumed, the latter have become too dry for satisfactory copies to be obtained, and to enable satisfactory reproduction to be obtained from the start, without the necessity for turning the cylinder 52 idly while the pads I2 are taking up sufficient liquid, manually operable means may be provided for holding the feed wicks 73 against the pads 12 when the machine is stationary.

Such means may comprise a bell-crank lever H2 which is pivoted to the lever 9|, preferably coaxially with the roller 92, in which case it may be retained by the nut 98 on the screw 93. One arm of this bell-crank lever H2 is formed or provided with a handle H3, whilst the other arm is shaped to a cam profile, as at H9, and is adapted, on suitable angular movement of the lever H2, to engage the base of the groove so as to lift the lever 9|, with the result that the cams 14 are turned to bring the feed wicks 13 against the pads 2|.

' The bell-crank lever I I2 may be biassed towards the inoperative position shown in Figure 6 by a tension spring II5, which also serves to pull the lever 9| towards the periphery of the cylinder 62.

What I claim then is:

1. A duplicating machine comprising a rigid frame, a cylinder and a pressure roller mounted in parallel relationship in said frame and adapted to bring copy sheets into contact with a master sheet, a moistening pad across which said copy sheets are drawn before reaching said master sheet, a reservoir for moistening liquid, a feed wick adapted to convey liquid from said reservoir to said pad, a rock-shaft mounted on said reservoir and extending parallel with said moistening pad, an arm on said rock-shaft having attached thereto the upper portion of said feed wick, a lever mounted on said frame for swinging movement in a vertical plane, a roller carried by said lever and adapted to run on the periphery of said cylinder, said cylinder being formed with a longitudinal recess in its periphery which arrives opposite said roller after each copy has been made and allows said roller to move. towards the axis of said cylinder, and means operatively connecting said rock-shaft to said lever in a manner such that said feed wick is maintained in contact with said moistening pad so long as said roller engages the periphery of said cylinder, the angular movement of said lever consequent upon arrival of said recess opposite said roller causing said rock-shaft to return to a position in which said feed wick is clear "of said pad.

2. A duplicating machine comprising a rigid frame, a cylinder and a pressure roller mounted in parallel relationship in said frame and adapted sheet, a moistening pad across which said copy sheets are drawn before reaching said master sheet, a reservoir for moistening liquid, a feed wick adapted to convey liquid from said reservoir to said pad, a rock-shaft mounted on said reservoir and extending parallel with said moistening pad, an arm on said rock-shaft having attached thereto the upper portion of said feed wick, a lever mounted on said frame for swinging movement in a vertical plane, a roller carried by said lever and adapted to run on the periphery of said cylinder, said cylinder being formed with a longitudinal recess in its periphery which arrives opposite said roller after each copy has been made and allows said roller to move towards the axis of said cylinder, a crank on said rock-shaft, and a link of adjustable length connecting said crank to said rock-shaft, the arrangement being such that said feed wick is maintained in contact with said moistening pad so long as said roller engages the periphery of said cylinder, the angular movement of said lever consequent upon arrival of said recess opposite said roller causing said rock-shaft to return to a position in which said feed wick is clear of said pad.

3. A duplicating machine comprising a rigid frame, a cylinder and a pressure roller mounted in parallel relationship in said frame and adapted to bring copy sheets into contact with a master sheet, a moistening pad across which said copy sheets are drawn before reaching said master sheet, a reservoir for moistening liquid, a feed wick adapted to convey liquid from said reservoir to said pad, a rock-shaft mounted on said reservoir and extending parallel with said;

moistening pad, an arm on said rock-shaft having attached thereto the upper portion of said feed wick, a lever mounted on said frame for swinging movement in a vertical plane, a roller carried by said lever and adapted to run on the periphery of said cylinder, said cylinder being formed with a longitudinal recess in its periphery which arrives opposite said roller after each copy has been made and allows said roller to move towards the axis of said cylinder, means operatively connecting said rock-shaft to said lever in a manner such that said feed wick is maintained in contact with said moistening pad so long as said roller engages the periphery of said cylinder, the angular movement of said lever consequent upon arrival of said recess opposite said roller causing said rock-shaft to return to a position in which said feed wick is clear of said pad, and means for bringing said feed wick into contact with said pad while the machine is stationary with the recess in said cylinder opposite said roller.

4. A duplicating machine comprising a rigid frame, a cylinder and a pressure roller mounted in parallel relationship in said frame and adapted to bring copy sheets into contact with a master sheet, a moistening pad across which said copy sheets are drawn before reaching said master sheet, a reservoir for moistening liquid, a feed wick adapted to convey liquid from said reservoir to said pad, a rock-shaft mounted on said reser-- voir and extending parallel with said moistening pad, an arm on said rock-shaft having attached thereto the upper portion of said feed wick, a lever mounted on said frame for swinging movement in a vertical plane, a roller carried by said lever and adapted to run on the periphery of said cylinder, said cylinder being formed with a longitudinal recess in its periphery which arrives opposite said roller after each copy 6, has been made and allows said roller to move towards the axis of said cylinder, means operatively connecting said rock-shaft to said lever in a manner such that said feed wick is maintained in contact with said moistening pad so long as said roller engages the periphery of said cylinder, the angular movement of said lever consequent upon arrival of said recess opposite said roller causing said rock-shaft to return to a position in which said feed wick is clear of said pad, and a bell crank lever pivoted on the first mentioned lever, one arm of said bell crank lever forming a handle for manual operation when the machine is stationary with the recess in said cylinder opposite said roller, and the other arm being adapted on angular movement of said bell crank lever to engage the base of said recess in a manner to lift said roller into the position which it occupies when engaging the periphery of said cylinder and thereby to bring said feed wick into contact with said pad.

5. A duplicating machine comprisin a rigid frame, a cylinder and a pressure roller mounted in parallel relationship in said frame and adapted to bring copy sheets into contact with a master sheet, a moistening pad across which said copy sheets are drawn before reaching said master sheet, a dampin strip extending transversely of said pad, said damping strip being pivoted adjacent one edge about an axis parallel to that of said cylinder and spaced from the surface of said pad, said damping strip on angular movement in one direction engaging said copy sheets along a relatively narrow area and in a manner to press said copy sheets against said pad, a pair of laterally spaced rocking levers pivoted upon a common aXis parallel to that of said damping strip, links connecting corresponding arms of said levers to opposite ends of said damping strip at positions adjacent the edge remote from the edge where the pivotal axis is disposed, a crossbar connecting the other arms of said levers, a member mounted for sliding movement in a direction transversely of the axis of said cylinder and normally maintained out of contact with said crossbar, and means for automatically releasing said sliding member after each copy has been made, said sliding member thereupon engaging said crossbar in a manner to separate said damping strip from said pad.

6. A duplicating machine comprising a rigid frame, a cylinder and a pressure roller mounted in parallel relationship in said frame and adapted to bring copy sheets into contact with a master sheet, a moistening pad across which said copy sheets are drawn before reaching said master sheet, a damping strip extending transversely of said pad, said damping strip being pivoted adjacent one edge about an axis parallel to that of said cylinder and spaced from the surface of said pad, said damping strip on angular movement in one direction engaging said copy sheets along a relatively narrow area and in a manner to press said copy sheets against said pad, a pair of laterally spaced rocking levers pivoted upon a common axis parallel to that of said damping strip, links connecting corresponding arms of said levers to opposite ends of said damping strip at positions adjacent the edge remote from the edge where the pivotal axis is disposed, a crossbar connecting the other arms of said levers, a member mounted for sliding movement in a direction transversely of said cylinder, a roller carried by said sliding member, and a cam surface associated with said cylinder and normally co-operating with said roller in a manner to hold said sliding member out of contact with said crossbar, said cam surface being so arranged as to permit movement of said roller and sliding member toward the axis of said cylinder after each copy has been made, said sliding member thereupon engaging said crossbar in a manner to separate said damping strip from said pad.

FRANK RONALD FORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Ritzerfeld Aug. 27, 1935 Ritzerfeld Dec. 22, 1936 Ford Aug. 29, 1939 Morris Jan. 21, 1941 Copeland et a1 Apr. 8, 1941 Ford July 8, 1941 Ford June 16, 1942 Grobecker Oct, 27, 1942 Ford -1 Nov. 14, 1944 

